Method and system for providing advertising in immersive digital environments

ABSTRACT

A method and system for advertising dynamic content in an immersive digital medium user experience operate a plurality of computer processors and databases in an associated network for receiving, processing, and communicate instructions and data relating to advertising content in an immersive digital medium user experience. The method and system execute instructions and processing data relating to advertising objects, the advertising objects comprising images of objects, signs, labels, and related indicia of object origin for indicating sources of purchasing one or more objects for advertising to receive advertising instructions and data from a plurality of software applications and further respond to variations in said advertising instructions and data whereby operation of said computer processors and databases enables swapping out of various advertising messages and images according to the context of said immersive digital medium user experience.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent applicationSer. Nos. 15/490,664, 15/448,410, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FORPROVIDING ADVERTISING IN VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITY SOFTWAREAPPLICATIONS, by the inventor hereof and claiming priority toProvisional Application No. 62/302,857, filed on Mar. 3, 2016, andentitled “Methods to Deliver Advertising in Virtual Reality andAugmented Reality Software Applications,” both applications being hereexpressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to information processing systems and,more particularly to a method and system for providing contextualcommunications and messages in immersive digital environments, includingvirtual reality and augmented reality digital environment. Additionallythe present disclosure provides a method and system for providingadvertising in a wide variety of immersive digital software applicationscapable of presenting a variety of sensory experiences.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An immersive digital environment is an artificial, interactive,computer-created scene or “world” within which a user can immersethemselves. Immersive digital environments could be thought of assynonymous with virtual reality (VR) and/or augmented reality (AR), butwithout the implication that actual “reality” is being simulated. Animmersive digital environment could be a model of reality, but it couldalso be a complete fantasy user interface or abstraction, as long as theuser of the environment is immersed within it. The definition ofimmersion is wide and variable, but here it is assumed to mean simplythat the user feels like they are part of the simulated “universe”. Thesuccess with which an immersive digital environment can actually immersethe user is dependent on many factors such as believable 3D computergraphics, surround sound, interactive user-input and other factors suchas simplicity, functionality and potential for enjoyment. Newtechnologies are currently under development which claim to bringrealistic environmental effects to the players' environment—effects likewind, seat vibration and ambient lighting.

To create a sense of full immersion, the 5 senses (sight, sound, touch,smell, taste) must perceive the digital environment to be physicallyreal. Immersive technology can perceptually fool the senses through: (a)panoramic 3D displays (visual); (b) surround sound acoustics (auditory);(c) haptics and force feedback (tactile); (d) smell replication(olfactory); and (e) taste replication (gustation). Once the sensesreach a sufficient belief that the digital environment is real (it isinteraction and involvement which can never be real), the user must thenbe able to interact with the environment in a natural, intuitive manner.Various immersive technologies such as gestural controls, motiontracking, and computer vision respond to the user's actions andmovements. Brain control interfaces (BCI) respond to the user'sbrainwave activity.

An advertisement, hereinafter also referred to as an “ad,” is used tomarket and sell a product or service. Typical advertisements containprimary information in the form of text, images and/or audio informationabout a product or service. The primary information in the advertisementmay also contain information, such as a toll-free 800 number, a websiteaddress, a physical street address, or another means of action, thatprovides a way for the viewer or listener to take an action to eitherbuy the product or obtain more supplemental information related to theproduct. Magazine and video ads, roadside billboards, street-level ads,posters in the subway or bus stops, digital-out-of-home advertisements,kiosks, advertisements on vehicles such as taxis, buses, cars, and thelike, contain similar information.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,217,135, entitled “Presenting an Advertisement in AVehicle,” describes technique for providing advertisement information inan online environment. The technique includes, in part sending, from adevice built into a vehicle, a first set of data to a server, the firstset of data corresponding to measurements performed by one or moresensors, receiving a first set of elements from the server in responseto the first set of data, presenting one or more elements from the firstset of elements to a user of the vehicle on a display in the vehicle,and receiving at least one input corresponding to at least one selectedelement among the one or more elements.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,395,281, entitled “Advertisement Selection and PricingBased on Advertisement Type and Placement,” describes another onlinesystem that selects advertisements for presentation in variousadvertisement slots to maximize the total value to the online system foradvertisement presentation. Candidate advertisements for presentation toa user are identified and types of advertisements are associated withvarious advertisement slots. For example, types of advertisements areassociated with advertisement slots based on values for presentingvarious types of advertisements in different advertisement slots and oneor more ad placement rules. Candidate advertisements having anadvertisement type associated with each advertisement slot areidentified, and an expected value of various placements of the candidateadvertisements having a type corresponding to advertisement slots isdetermined. Based on the expected values, a placement of candidateadvertisements in advertisement slots is selected and presented to auser.

To date, no method or system such as described above permits operationssimilar or related to those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,217,135 or 10,395,281in an immersive digital environment.

Advertising contextual messages are seen today through the use of bannerads and other advertisements appearing from on-line or internetadvertisers. There is, however, a problem with internet advertisementsin that internet users rarely interact with today's advertisementsmultiple times, limiting their effectiveness. High advertising frequency(the number of times a user sees the ad) has a negative correlation withadvertising effectiveness, and can damage the consumer-advertiserrelationship. Another problem with internet advertisements is thatengagement with present-day digital advertising (clicks, impressions,and object placements) last a fraction of a second, limiting theireffectiveness. So, present day internet contextual advertising has notyielded general satisfactory results.

Contextual advertising, however, continues to grow in popularity as amode of digital marketing communication. Previous research ontraditional media has shown that the surrounding context affectsadvertising effectiveness. Similarly, the context in a game mayinfluence a player's processing of brands advertised in that game. Toexamine the effects of contextual advertising in games, variousdevelopers of video games are studying how positive and negative gamecontexts influence players' memories and attitudes with respect tobrands advertised via billboards in games. Varying a game context mayinfluence the perception of brands advertised in the game via thecontextual priming mechanism and that positive contexts generate morepositive brand attitudes than negative or neutral contexts. The findingshave important implications for consumer researchers and marketers, asthey indicate how contexts in games can be utilized to establish brandawareness and increase positive brand perceptions in contextualadvertising using games.

In light of the growing awareness of contextual advertising in animmersive digital environment, there is presently the need for theability to use factors underlying the effectiveness of advertisements inrelation to a game's context. That is, there is a need for a method andsystem whereby advertisers can strategically use game contexts to meettheir advertising goals, and it revealed a number of interestinginsights. Such method and system would enable to make the best use ofvideo games by strategically locating their advertisements in thecontexts that will maximize advertising effectiveness.

A highly interactive VR environment involves both automatic andcontrolled allocation of cognitive resources. The amount of resources aplayer can devote to a VR stimulus might vary depending on the level ofinteractivity of the given task (e.g. driving a car and shooting anenemy), characteristics of the player (e.g. previous gaming experienceand gaming skills), and the characteristics of the stimulus (e.g. size,color, sound and in-game events). In particular, different VR situationsof environments require different amounts of mental resources, and mostVR environments can involve highly stimulating audiovisual sensoryinformation (e.g. alarm sounds, bonus points, aggressive enemy avatarsand powerful weapons) and more engaging tasks (e.g., participating incombat, winning a reward, being killed by an enemy).

Research has demonstrated that contextual advertisement is capable ofmaking changes to people's preset beliefs regarding specific brands byactivating certain audience attributes. The resulting change inconsumers' attitudes is known as the contextual priming effect. Becausepeople interpret advertisements depending on currently activatedconcepts, immediately accessible contexts are more influential wheninterpreting adjacent messages such as advertisements.

As a result of developing abilities in constructing and using VRenvironments, as well as the ability to understand the dynamics andinfluences of contextual advertising, a variety of needs to formadvertising and marketing objects and services capable of operating inVR environments

In light of the above, further need exists for providing enhancedadvertising opportunities in association with the dramatically moresensory-rich immersive digital environments.

There is the need for a methods and system for advertisers todynamically deliver interactive and contextual advertisements toconsumers in immersive digital software applications.

There is a further need for a method and system for dynamically andcontextually replacing objects in a VR application with advertisingopportunities in an immersive digital medium environment.

A need exists for a method and system to allow users to interact withdynamic immersive digital advertisements.

A further need exists for a method and system to create novel, enhancedadvertising opportunities for brands and advertisers withoutintrusion-dependent ads, thereby preserving the perceptual integrity ofthe immersive digital environments. That is, there is a need for a wayof delivering transaction-based or advertising content to electronicmedia users without disturbing the immersive experience that isparamount to this technology's prosperity, adoption, and overallsuccess.

Yet a further need exists for a method and system by which advertisersmay use the scientifically-proven heightened state of emotion thatvirtual reality, augmented reality, and similar immersive digitaltechnologies can produce.

Finally, a need exists for the ability to create electronically enabledtransactions that may effectively only occur in virtual reality,augmented reality, and similar immersive digital environments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed subject matter provides for a method and system forproviding contextual communications and messages in immersive digitalenvironments, additionally the present disclosure provides a method andsystem for providing advertising in immersive digital softwareapplications.

In light of the above, the present disclosure provides a method andsystem for advertising dynamic content in an immersive digital mediumuser experience. The present method and system operate a plurality ofcomputer processors and databases in an associated network forreceiving, processing, and communicating instructions and data relatingto advertising content in an immersive digital medium user experience.The method and system execute instructions and processing data relatingto advertising objects, the advertising objects comprising images ofobjects, signs, labels, and related indicia of object origin forindicating sources of purchasing one or more objects for advertising.The method and system receive advertising instructions and data from aplurality of software applications for directing the use of said imagesfor objects, signs, labels, and related indicia of object origin withsaid immersive digital medium user experience. The method and systemrespond to variations in said advertising instructions and data wherebyoperation of said computer processors and databases enables swapping outof various advertising messages and images according to the context ofsaid immersive digital medium user experience.

The present disclosure further relates to methods for advertisers todynamically deliver interactive advertisements to consumers in immersivedigital software applications. These methods include how advertisementswill be integrated into immersive digital software applications by thesoftware developer, how users might interact with these advertisements,and how advertisers might place and pay for these advertisements.

In light of the present disclosure, here further appears a method andsystem for the system's ability to dynamically replace objects in asoftware application with advertising opportunities. Previously, anyimplementation of a system similar to this lacked the majority of thisproposed system's potential.

The subject matter of the present disclosure provides ways to enhanceadvertising opportunities thanks to a dramatically more sensory-richenvironment. Moreover, the presently explained and disclosed novelsubject matter provides to allow users to interact with these dynamicadvertisements. Thanks to the experience made possible by virtualreality and similar technologies, the user can walk right up to anadvertised object and interact with it in whatever way the softwaredeveloper programmed when creating their application.

In essence, the present disclosure enables a method and system to createnovel, enhanced advertising opportunities for brands and advertiserswithout intrusion-dependent ads. Presently, most content is monetized orsupplemented by intrusive forms of advertising that users have evolvedto filter out. Whether it's television, radio, video games, orsoftware—we've become mostly immune to advertisers' messages.

Moreover, the disclosed subject matter provides the technical advantageof being able to capitalize on advertising benefits of reaching a userduring the heightened state of emotion that VR, AR, and similartechnologies can produce. This benefit results in better advertisingopportunities, which facilitate a beneficial association following theVR, AR, or similar experience. Researchers have performed studies to seewhat effect video games and other entertainment media has on users.Video games in particular often create a heightened state of emotionthat, unbeknownst to the user, makes them more receptive to brandedmessages.

A technical advantage of the present disclosure includes the ability tobill on a novel, per-interaction basis (drinking, touching, eating,driving, turning on/off, listening to, etc.).

The disclosed subject matter also provides for the improvement of thesystem's ability to not only enable advertisers to capitalize on theseenhanced opportunities, but for developers to monetize their content inan entirely new way, all while maintaining a large degree of control.Advertisers will benefit from this system, and developers stand to gaina great deal as well.

A yet further advantage of the presently disclosed subject matterincludes an improved ability to all of this seamlessly, withoutdisturbing the immersive experience that is paramount to thistechnology's prosperity, adoption, and overall success.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present subject matter will now be described in detail withreference to the drawings, which are provided as illustrative examplesof the subject matter so as to enable those skilled in the art topractice the subject matter. Notably, the FIGUREs and examples are notmeant to limit the scope of the present subject matter to a singleembodiment, but other embodiments are possible by way of interchange ofsome or all of the described or illustrated elements and, further,wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an architectural diagram of the presently disclosedmethod and system for providing advertising in immersive digitalsoftware applications;

FIG. 2 diagrams an exemplary system within a computing environment forimplementing the disclosure and includes a general purpose computingdevice in the form of computing system;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for developers to create, register,and implement rented objects within their immersive digital softwareapplications;

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for advertisers to rent objectsmade available by developers in software applications;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example interaction that a usermight have when encountering rented objects in software applications;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example delivery system that wouldfacilitate the process between advertisers and developers when rentingobjects within a software application;

FIG. 7 depicts a user employing an immersive digital medium head mounteddisplay that may employ the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 portrays how a immersive digital environment may appear to theuser employing the head mounted display of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 depicts how the immersive digital environment of FIG. 8 mayappear through the viewing lenses of a head mounted display.

FIG. 10 more particularly illustrates a potential location for anadvertisement that may appear in the immersive digital environment ofFIG. 8 exemplary application of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 11 further illustrates how application of the presently disclosedsubject may alter the potential location for advertisement in aimmersive digital environment, as illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 portrays how the immersive digital environment of FIG. 11 mayappear to the user of the head mounted display following application ofthe teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 further shows a different virtual reality environment whereinapplication of the presently disclosed method and system may occur;

FIG. 14 shows how the teachings of the present disclosure may apply topermit advertising with the virtual reality environment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 depicts how the immersive digital environment of FIG. 13 mayappear through the viewing lenses of a head mounted display;

FIG. 16 depicts how the immersive digital environment of FIG. 14 mayappear through the viewing lenses of a head mounted display;

FIG. 17 yet further illustrates use of the presently disclosed teachingsfor further providing contextual advertising messaging via thepresentation of an automobile within the background of a immersivedigital environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments in whichthe presently disclosed process can be practiced. The term “exemplary”used throughout this description means “serving as an example, instance,or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferredor advantageous over other embodiments. The detailed descriptionincludes specific details for providing a thorough understanding of thepresently disclosed method and system. However, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that the presently disclosed process may bepracticed without these specific details. In some instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoidobscuring the concepts of the presently disclosed method and system.

In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular componentshould not be considered limiting. Rather, the subject matter preferablyencompasses other embodiments including a plurality of the samecomponent, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein.Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification orclaims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitlyset forth as such. Further, the present subject matter encompassespresent and future known equivalents to the known components referred toherein by way of illustration.

Although method and system for providing advertising in immersivedigital software applications here disclosed have been described indetail herein with reference to the illustrative embodiments, it shouldbe understood that the description is by way of example only and is notto be construed in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood,therefore, that numerous changes in the details of the embodiments ofthis disclosed process and additional embodiments of this method andsystem for providing advertising in VR, AR software applications will beapparent to, and may be made by, persons of ordinary skill in the arthaving reference to this description. It is contemplated that all suchchanges and additional embodiments are within the spirit and true scopeof this disclosed method and system as claimed below.

Virtual reality and similar immersive digital technologies present aunique challenge: A positive user experience is wholly dependent onimmersion. If you break immersion, you risk completely compromising theexperience. All of the aforementioned, presently available advertisingoptions would compromise immersion. Users would avoid VR/AR/etc.software applications containing these forms of advertising, andsoftware developers wouldn't leverage those forms of advertising as aresult. This system is capable of facilitating highly potent advertisingopportunities for brands/companies and a new form of monetization fordevelopers, all without sacrificing immersion when integratedthoughtfully by advertisers and developers.

In short, virtual reality and similar technologies are elevating thepossibilities of user entertainment to an unprecedented level.Integrating advertising into a technology so dependent on immersionpresents a series of unique challenges, which creates the opportunityfor many novel solutions.

FIG. 1 depicts an architectural diagram of the presently disclosedmethod and system for providing advertising in immersive digitalsoftware applications, here immersive digital environment system 10 as anetwork diagram depicting a computer network 12, according to oneembodiment, having a client-server architecture configured forexchanging data over a network. For example, the immersive digitalenvironment system 10 may be a publication/publisher system whereclients may communicate and exchange data within computer network 12.The data may pertain to various functions (e.g., online item purchases)and aspects (e.g., managing content) associated with the computernetwork 12 and its users. Although illustrated herein as a client-serverarchitecture as an example, other embodiments may include other networkarchitectures, such as a peer-to-peer or distributed networkenvironment.

Components of virtual reality advertising system 10, as FIG. 1 depictsinclude, therefore, computer network 12 which connects to advertisinginformation database(s) 14. Advertisement management engine 16communicates with computer network 12, in collaboration with advertisers18. Advertisement storage server 20 stores, processes, executes andcommunicates computer instructions and data relating to the advertisingoperations of virtual reality advertising system 10. Administrativesystem 22 processes and executes instructions relating to theadministration of virtual reality advertising system 10, as describedmore fully below. Software application 24 represents the functional andcommunications component of the disclosed subject matter, includingsoftware applications, that provide the ability to dynamically replaceobjects in software applications, which objects representadvertisements. This functionality empowers software developers toaugment and interact with virtual reality advertising system 10.Software developers applications 28 associated with user devices 26provide a variety of software platforms and functions for fully virtualand augmented advertising applications and advertising functions. In thefollowing paragraphs the present disclosure provides more informationconcerning the operation and benefits that these functional elements ofthe present virtual reality advertising system 10. These operations andbenefits include a variety of behaviors, actions, and sub-componentshere described.

Computer network 12 serves as a central hub that connects all componentsof immersive digital environment system 10 via WAN/LAN/Internet or othermeans. Connections within the present scope may include a combination ofhardware/software that interprets data being sent and received by othercomponents of the system. Computer network 12 routes instructions anddata to a relevant server, such as database 14, software developerapplications 28, user devices 26, etc.

Advertising information database(s) 14 stores and communicatesadvertiser information, user information, software information, andadvertisement information. Advertiser information, for example, mayinclude an advertiser profile including, for example, entity name,entity description, etc. Billing Information stored within advertisinginformation database(s) 14 may include billing address, financialaccounts, budget, etc. Moreover, advertising information database(s) 14may store advertiser preferences including, for instance, time of day,preferred user demographics, preferred user interests, preferred userbehaviors, preferred devices, preferred software applications, etc.Within advertising information database(s) 14, also may be stored userinformation, such as demographics information. This may include age,sex, ethnicity, language, education, income, household information,other common demographic data, etc. relevant to immersive digitalenvironment system 10 users.

Behaviors also may be stored in advertising information database(s) 14.This kind of data may include historical data regarding user behaviorwithin software applications 24. For example, interactions with objects,interactions with other users, selected skill level, anything elsetaking place in a software application 24 may reside in advertisinginformation database(s) 14. Historical data regarding user behavior inreality (geographic regions visited, types of establishments visited,amount of time spent in certain locations, or any other trackableactivity the user performs in reality may also be stored in advertisinginformation database(s) 14.

User devices 26 may provide to advertising information database(s) 14information regarding which devices, such as a head mounted display(HMD) a user owns, has owned, has logged into their user account from,etc. Advertising information database(s) 14 may store, also, interests,such as brand preferences, brand tendencies, entertainment preferences(games, movies, celebrities, music, literature, etc.), activities,affinities, etc.

To enable immersive digital environment system 10 to operate softwaredevelopers 28, advertising information database(s) 14 may store softwareinformation, as well as compatible devices such as computers, mobiledevices, virtual reality headsets, etc. As for different types ofadvertising information usable with virtual reality advertising system10, advertising information database(s) may store advertising categoryinformation, such as educational, game, experience, movies & television,etc. categories; advertising genres; advertising rating information,such as intended audiences, due to content such as graphic violence,nudity, profanity, etc.

Advertising information database(s) may, furthermore, storeadvertisement information, such as virtual environment physicaldimensions, were applicable, file type & format, and variouslimitations, such as maximum file size, content guidelines (e.g.,appropriateness, developer-specified restrictions, etc.)

The context of an advertisement may be stored and accessed viaadvertising information database(s) 14, to include software category,software genre, environment, potential interaction, etc. The number ofadvertisements, such as how many advertising opportunities are presentwithin a given software application is a storable aspect for advertisinginformation database(s) 14.

Advertising information database(s) 14 may include locations ofadvertisements, such as where advertising opportunities are locatedwithin their corresponding software applications 24. Displayeligibility, as to whether or not an available advertising opportunityhas eligible advertisements to display. Advertising informationdatabase(s) 14 may further include billing triggers to include numbersof impressions, user interactions, etc.

Advertisement management engine 16 maintains a constant connection tothe advertisement information database 14 to determine availableadvertisements, quantity and locations of available advertisementswithin a software application 24, advertisement display eligibility,advertisement billing triggers, etc. Advertisement management engine 16receives requests for information from software applications 24 on auser device 26 when the user triggers an event to retrieve assets andeligibility information from advertising information database(s) 14.

Advertisement management engine 16 may include a serving mechanism fordetermining whether or not advertisements for that object are eligibleto be displayed based on advertisement approval status, advertiserpreferences such as user demographics, time of day, bid, etc. Theserving mechanism of advertisement management engine 16 interprets datafrom the advertisement information advertising information database(s)14 and determines whether or not an advertisement is available to bedisplayed.

If an object available for rent does not have any advertisementscurrently eligible to display, the default asset set by the softwaredeveloper is displayed on a display as may be described in FIG. 3,below. If the serving mechanism receives information for a singleeligible advertisement, the advertisement management engine 16 sendseligible assets to the software application 24. If the serving mechanismreceives information that indicates multiple advertisements are eligibleto display, an algorithm may determine which advertisement to displaybased on advertiser bid, user demographics, user behavior, userinterests, optimal user experience, etc. or any combination thereof. Theadvertisement management engine 106 then sends assets of the determinedeligible advertisement to the software application 24. The eligibleassets are then seen or interacted with by the user on user device 26,and corresponding billing trigger information is sent to theadvertisement information database 14.

Advertisers 108 may receive a various advertising requests and inputfrom advertisers seeking to use virtual reality advertising system 10.Administrative system 112 receives data via advertisers 108, which mayinclude profile information, billing information, targeting information,assets, etc. immersive digital environment system 10 transmits this datato the appropriate components and database(s) 14 for use and storage.Administrative system 22 communicates billing information to advertisersvia advertisers 18 when a threshold of fees, accumulated frominteractions and/or impressions from the advertiser's ad placementswithin software applications 24, is met.

Advertisement storage server 20 stores advertiser assets such as images,videos, audio files, scripts, formulas, etc. Advertisement storageserver 20 further sends and receives data to/from the advertisementmanagement engine 16 to present advertisement assets to the user.Advertisement storage server 20 may also send and receive data directlyto/from the advertisement information database(s) 14, if not routedthrough the advertisement management engine 16 to perform this action.

Administrative system 22 receives data from software developers 28 tocreate a unique account for them within the system. This may includeentity information, profile information, a list of software applicationsthey offer rental opportunities in, demographic information, financialaccount information, etc. Administrative system 22 receives data fromdevelopers via an interface to register objects available for rentwithin their software applications 24. This data may include informationabout their software application, object dimensions, information aboutthe context of the object within their software application,developer-specific requirements for that available object, the object'sdefault asset in case the system does not have any eligibleadvertisements to display, etc.

Administrative system 22 sends this data for storage in theadvertisement information database(s) 104. Administrative system 22further presents software developers with a unique code exclusive tothat object/advertising opportunity. Through software 28, a developermay install this code or script within their software application's 24code to send and receive data to/from the advertisement managementengine 16. The code may be installed in software 28 independent ofadministrative system 22. The code allows the software 28 to communicatewith system 22.

Administrative system 22 receives data from advertisers 18, which datamay include entity information, opportunity preferences, userpreferences, demographics, financial account information, etc.Administrative system 22 presents advertisers 18 with information aboutobjects that are available for rent via an interface. This informationpresented to the advertiser is the data specified by the softwaredeveloper such as object dimensions, advertising requirements, etc.

When an advertiser identifies an object/advertisement opportunity thatthey would like to rent, the system receives their applicationinformation for review/approval via advertisers 18. This may includepreferred billing triggers such as impressions and/or interactions,assets, a message to the developer and/or approval team, etc. If theimmersive digital environment system 10 denies the application, thesystem will notify the advertiser. If the immersive digital environmentsystem 10 approves the application, the system stores the advertiser'sdata such as time of day, preferred user demographics, preferred userinterests, preferred user behaviors, preferred devices, preferredsoftware applications 24, etc. within the advertisement informationdatabase 14.

Immersive digital environment system 10 sends the advertiser's approvedassets to the advertisement storage server 20 for storage. Immersivedigital environment system 10 sends data to the advertisement managementengine 16 so that this advertisement may be presented to the user inplace of the software developer's default object within the softwareapplication 24. Administrative system 22 bills advertisers 18 when abilling threshold is met such as number of impressions, number ofinteractions, etc. for their selected advertising opportunities.Administrative system 22 also pays developers when a threshold is metfor earnings accumulated from advertising opportunities within theirsoftware applications 24.

Software application 24 may be created by software developers 28 andcontains objects specified by the software developer to communicate withthe advertisement management engine 16 via a unique code provided by theadministrative system 22 upon registration of the object. Softwareapplication 23 notifies advertisement management engine 16 when a useractivates an event to apply assets to an object available for rentwithin the software application 24. If software application 24 receivesdata from advertisement management engine 16 that indicates the objectis not rented, the system applies the default asset to that objectwithin the software application 24. If the software application 24receives data from the advertisement management engine 16 that indicatesthe object has an eligible advertisement to be displayed, the systemapplies the advertiser's asset to that object to be seen by, interactedwith, or otherwise experienced by the user. If a billing trigger isactivated for an eligible advertisement, the software application 24sends that data to the advertisement information database(s) 14.

User devices 26 run software applications 24 created by softwaredevelopers and furthermore receive input from the user, as well as sendand receive data with advertisement management engine 16.

Software Developers 28 provide software applications 24 intended forusers device 26. Input data for administrative system 22 andadvertisement management engine 16 makes objects within their softwareapplications 24 available for advertising opportunities. Administrativesystem 22 pays developers when a threshold is met for earningsaccumulated from advertising opportunities within their softwareapplications 24.

FIG. 2 provides an exemplary system within the computing environment 30for implementing the disclosure. While an example of a particular userdevice 26 may be a virtual reality head mounted display, other computingplatforms for computing environment 30 may in the form of a desktopcomputer. Other client devices may include, but are not limited to,laptop computers and mobile phones (e.g. smart phones). In variousembodiments, the client device includes at least one processor, display,image capture device, network interface, and input device. The displaymay be a touchscreen or non-interactive display. In an embodiment, theimage capture device is a camera.

To explain the relationship between computing environment 30 of FIG. 2with immersive digital environment system 10 of FIG. 1, it is abeneficial to appreciate that immersive digital environment system 10may be practiced on a wide variety of differing user device 26 that maybe associated with computing environment 30 or a stand alone computingenvironment. So, the functional aspects of network 12, database(s) 14,advertisement management engine 16, advertisers 18, advertisementstorage server 20, administrative system 22, and software applications24 may reside at various locations within computing environment 30,depending on various hardware and software architectural consideration.Accordingly, the various hardware and computing functions necessary forthe operation of immersive digital environment system 10 should beappreciated within the context of an operable computing environment,such as computing environment 30 of FIG. 2.

The network interface may be configured to transmit and receive onmultiple frequencies 4G, 3G, 802.11, etc.) over network 14 with virtualreality advertising system 10. The input device may be a keyboard,touchscreen, gesture capture, stylus or a combination thereof. Invarious embodiments, computing environment 30 also includes one or moreapplications that are executed by the at least processor. The executedapplications may be configured to perform the functions and methodsdescribed herein.

Computing environment 30, thus may include a general purpose computingdevice in the form of computing system 32, commercially available from,for example, Intel, IBM, AMD, Apple, Motorola, Cyrix, etc. Components ofcomputing system 34 may include, but are not limited to, processing unit36, system memory 38, and system bus 40 that couples various systemcomponents including system memory 38 to processing unit 36. System bus40 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory busor memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures.

Computing system 32 typically includes a variety of computer readablemedia. Computer readable media can be any available media that can beaccessed by computing system 32 and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. By way ofexample, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprisecomputer storage media and communication media. Computer storage mediaincludes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data.

Computer memory includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flashmemory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD)or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any othermedium which can be used to store the desired information and which canbe accessed by computing system 32.

System memory 38 may include or associate with the advertisinginformation database(s) 14 and includes computer storage media in theform of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory(ROM) 42 and random access memory (RAM) 44. A basic input/output system(BIOS) 46, containing the basic routines that help to transferinformation between elements within computing system 32, such as duringstart-up, is typically stored in ROM 42. RAM 44 typically contains dataand/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/orpresently being operated on by processing unit 36. By way of example,and not limitation, operating system 48, application programs 50, otherprogram modules 52, and program data 54 are shown.

Computing system 32 may also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,hard disk drive 56 that reads from or writes to non-removable,nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 58 that reads from orwrites to removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 60, and an optical diskdrive 62 that reads from or writes to removable, nonvolatile opticaldisk 64 such as a CD ROM or other optical media could be employed tostore the invention of the present embodiment. Otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage mediathat can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but arenot limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digitalversatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM,and the like. The hard disk drive 56 is typically connected to thesystem bus 40 through a non-removable memory interface such as interface66, and magnetic disk drive 58 and optical disk drive 62 are typicallyconnected to the system bus 40 by a removable memory interface, such asinterface 68.

The drives and their associated computer storage media, discussed above,provide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules and other data for computing system 32. For example,hard disk drive 56 is illustrated as storing operating system 70,application programs 72, other program modules 74 and program data 76.Note that these components can either be the same as or different fromoperating system 48, application programs 50, other program modules 52,and program data 54. Operating system 70, application programs 72, otherprogram modules 74, and program data 76 are given different numbers hereto illustrate that, at a minimum, they are different copies.

A user may enter commands and information into the computing system 32through input devices such as tablet or electronic digitizer 78,microphone 80, keyboard 82, and pointing device 84, commonly referred toas a mouse, trackball, or touch pad. These and other input devices areoften connected to the processing unit 36 through a user input interface86 that is coupled to the system bus 40, but may be connected by otherinterface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port or auniversal serial bus (USB).

Head mounted display (HMD) 88 or other type of display device is alsoconnected to the system bus 40 via an interface, such as a videointerface 90. HMD 88 may also be integrated with a touch-screen panel 92or the like. Note that the monitor and/or touch screen panel can bephysically coupled to a housing in which computing system 32 isincorporated, such as, for example, in a tablet-type personal computeror smart phone. In addition, computers such as computing system 32 mayalso include other peripheral output devices such as speakers 94 andprinter 96, which may be connected through an output peripheralinterface 98 or the like.

Computing system 32 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computingsystem 100. The remote computing system 100 may be a personal computer(including, but not limited to, mobile electronic devices), a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andtypically includes many or all of the elements described above relativeto computing system 32, although only a memory storage device 102 hasbeen illustrated. The logical connections depicted include a local areanetwork (LAN) 104 connecting through network interface 106 and a widearea network (WAN) 108 connecting via modem 110, but may also includeother networks such as, for example, mobile telephone service networks.Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-widecomputer networks, intranets, mobile networks, and the Internet.

For example, in the present embodiment, computer system 32 may comprisethe source machine from which data is being generated/transmitted andthe remote computing system 100 may comprise the destination machine.Note however that source and destination machines need not be connectedby a network or any other means, but instead, data may be transferredvia any media capable of being written by the source platform and readby the destination platform or platforms.

In another example, in the present embodiment, remote computing system100 may comprise the source machine from which data is beinggenerated/transmitted and computer system 32 may comprise thedestination machine.

In a further embodiment, in the present disclosure, computing system 32may comprise both a source machine from which data is beinggenerated/transmitted and a destination machine and remote computingsystem 100 may also comprise both a source machine from which data isbeing generated/transmitted and a destination machine.

Referring to FIG. 2, for the purposes of this disclosure, it will beappreciated that remote computer 100 may include any suitable term suchas, but not limited to “device”, “processor based mobile device”,“mobile device”, “electronic device”, “processor based mobile electronicdevice”, “mobile electronic device”, “wireless electronic device”, or“location-capable wireless device,” including a smart phone or tabletcomputer.

The central processor operating pursuant to operating system softwaresuch as, but not limited to, Apple IOS®, Google Android® IBM OS/2®,Linux®, UNIX®, Microsoft Windows®, Apple Mac OSX®, and othercommercially available operating systems provides functionality for theservices provided by the present invention. The operating system orsystems may reside at a central location or distributed locations (i.e.,mirrored or standalone).

Software programs or modules instruct the operating systems to performtasks such as, but not limited to, facilitating client requests, systemmaintenance, security, data storage, data backup, data mining,document/report generation, and algorithm generation. The providedfunctionality may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software moduleexecuted by a processor, or in any combination of the two.

Furthermore, software operations may be executed, in part or wholly, byone or more servers or a client's system, via hardware, software moduleor any combination of the two. A software module (program or executable)may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROMmemory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, DVD, opticaldisk, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplarystorage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor canread information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Inthe alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor.The processor and the storage medium may also reside in an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC). The bus may be an optical orconventional bus operating pursuant to various protocols that are wellknown in the art.

FIG. 3 presents a developer flow process for a method for developers tocreate, register, and implement rented objects within their immersivedigital software applications. Flow diagram 120 portrays the developerflow process of the present disclosure, thus, illustrating an example ofhow a developer might create and register an object within a softwareapplication 24 for rent. The developer starts at step 122, first designsthe object within their software application, at step 124. Then thedeveloper decides whether or not they want to make this particularobject within their application available for advertisers to rent, atstep 126. If no, the object will behave normally as specified by thedeveloper's programming, at step 128. If yes, the developer registersthe object for rent at step 130, outlining all necessary specificationsfor the rented object (length, width, height, subject-matterrestrictions, preferences, etc.). Once the developer successfullyregisters this object for rental within the database, they are supplieda unique code, at step 132, to integrate into their softwareapplication, at step 134, where they would like that rented object toappear. Developer flow process concludes at step 136.

FIG. 4 shows the advertiser flow process of the present disclosure as amethod for advertisers to rent objects made available by developers insoftware applications. Referring to FIG. 4, advertiser flow diagram 140starts at step 142 and illustrates an example of how an advertiser mightbrowse, identify, rent, and pay for advertisements within softwareapplications where developers have created rentable objects. Theadvertiser begins at step 144 by searching for an advertisingopportunity by browsing a database of rentable objects and reviewingtheir specifications as outlined by the developer. Upon finding anadvertising opportunity of interest, step 146, the advertiser may submita design that matches the specifications outlined by the developer forapproval along with a bid for that rentable object, step 148. If thedesign is denied, step 150, the advertisement is not eligible to bedisplayed, the advertiser must resubmit a design for approval, step 152.If the advertisement is approved, step 154, the advertisement iseligible for display and immersive digital environment system 10 beginsrendering to users within the developer's software application.Advertisers would be charged, step 156, based on the number ofimpressions or number of interactions within the software application.Advertiser flow diagram 140 stops at step 158.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram 160 of an example interaction that auser might have when encountering rented objects in softwareapplications. Referring to FIG. 5, user interaction flow diagram 160starts at step 162 to illustrate how a user may interact with a rentableobject in a software application 26. When the user encounters an object,step 164, that has been made available by the developer for rent, theywill see one of two possible renderings of this object. If there is notan advertisement eligible for display, step 166, the user will see thedefault object designed by the developer, step 168. If there is anadvertisement eligible for display, step 166, the user will see theadvertiser's design of the object, step 170. If allowed by the softwareapplication's programming, the user will also be able to interact withthis rented object, step 172. User interaction flow diagram 160 stops atstep 174.

FIG. 6 shows flow diagram 180 depicting an example delivery system thatwould facilitate the process between advertisers and developers whenrenting objects within a software application. Referring to FIG. 6,delivery system flow diagram 180 shows an example overview of how thesedeveloper, advertiser, and user processes might work together, startingat step 182. Once a software developer registers the object for rent,step 184, he installs the programming code within their application andsubmits the design and sets a bid. After approval, the rented object iseligible to be displayed within a software application 24. When anadvertiser browses to encounter a rentable object within the softwareapplication, at step 186, the advertiser submits the design of interestand sets a bid. After, approval, the rented design or object is eligibleto be displayed within the software application. At step 190, a use mayencounter a rented object in the software application 26. At step 192,software application 26 communicates with database(s) 14 to present aneligible rented object.

Delivery system flow diagram 180 continues to test whether there is aneligible rented object to display, at step 194. If no, the user will seethe default design specified by the software developer, at step 196,after which delivery system flow diagram 180 ends at step 198. If yes,the user will see the advertiser's design (referred to as a “rentedobject”) instead of the default design, at step 200. The user caninteract with that advertisement if the programming allows for it, andthe advertiser could be charged per interaction and/or per number ofimpressions, at step 202. The revenue from these rented objects would bepassed onto the developer, probably less a fee from the intermediaryfacilitating this transaction, at step 204. Delivery system flow diagram180 ends, then, at step 206.

As a result of delivery system flow diagram 180, the user has nowinteracted with advertising in a way that does not negatively affect theimmersive experience made possible by immersive digital, the advertiserhas paid for a handpicked advertising opportunity of significantlyhigher quality than what was possible prior to this technology gainingprevalence, and the developer has an option for monetizing theirsoftware application without sacrificing their desired user experience.

FIG. 7 illustrates how a head mounted display (HMD) 210 for viewing avirtual reality environment may occur by a user 212 wearing the deviceto begin a virtual reality experience. In FIG. 8 appears a simplifiedexample of a generic immersive digital environment with a virtual meal220 of a hamburger 222 accompanied by a serving of French fries 224 andcup of coffee 226. Thus, virtual meal 220 exemplifies what a user maysee if no advertisements in the database were eligible to render, or ifthere were no advertisers for those rentable objects. The example ofFIG. 8, further demonstrates that there may be at least three objectsfor rent in their software application. The illustration may furthershow virtual reality objects including, but not limited to, a table, afork, a knife, a plate, a cup with a straw, and a wrapped sandwich inthe middle of the plate. In this example illustration, one may considerthat the virtual reality images for hamburger 222, French fries 224, andcoffee 226 are available for rent by software developers who havecreated the images through software 28. In applying software developersprocess flow 120 of FIG. 3, and software developers have successfullyregistered hamburger 222, French fries 224, and coffee 226 as rentablewithin database(s) 14 and implemented the programming code tocommunicate via network 12 between software applications 24 anddatabase(s) 14. Referring again to FIG. 8, hamburger 222, French fries224, and coffee 226 are displayed in the default design that a developermay specify for a software application 26. Thus, although they have beenregistered as available for rent, there are not any ads eligible to beshown at the moment that user 212 encounters these objects. Also, FIG. 9depicts what user 212 may see through the display screens 230 and 232 ofHMD 210.

FIG. 10 is an illustration 240 of an example of what user 212 may see ifonly one object available, here hamburger 222, for rent were rented byadvertisers. Referring to FIG. 8, the hamburger 222 has been rented byan advertiser and their design is eligible for display, causing theirdesign to render as a boxed hamburger 242 within a “Big Mac” box,instead of the default design specified by the developer. The differentboxed hamburger 242, effectively allows an advertiser working throughadvertisers 18 to rent the boxed hamburger 242 object in the presentlydisclosed virtual reality advertising system 10.

If allowed by operating software application 24, user 212 could alsointeract with this advertisement by picking it up and taking a bite ofthe hamburger, which might execute an action specified by the developeror advertiser (regenerated health, augmented vision, improved resources,unlocked achievement, etc.). In another application of this disclosure,user 212 also may be able to experience smell or sound of the hothamburger 242 or other sensation. In some instances of this disclosure,those details could also be controlled by an advertiser throughadvertisers 18. In yet another application of this disclosure,advertisers 18 may allow depositing a piece of data on user's 212 deviceupon interacting with a rented object for later viewing, or for thepurposes of advertising and communicating with that user in the future.This could include a digital tracking file such as a cookie, ahyperlink, a text or image message, etc.

FIG. 11 shows is an illustration of an example of what a user might seeif all three, hamburger 212, French fries 214, and coffee 216 wereobjects available for rent and were rented by advertisers. Referring toFIG. 11, the rented boxed hamburger 242, branded French fries 252, andbranded coffee have been rented by advertisers with designs eligible fordisplay. Similar to what is described for FIG. 10, user 212 could unwrapand eat boxed hamburger 242, which might execute an action specified bythe developer or advertiser. This allows advertisers 18 to exercise anopportunity to secure complex brand interactions with users that werepreviously impossible. User 212 will experience this object verysimilarly to how they might in reality, and if it creates an emotionalreaction for user 212 due to the experience, those emotions can beassociated by user 212 with the advertiser's rented object and brand.

FIG. 13 further shows a different virtual reality environment 270wherein application of the presently disclosed method and system mayoccur. In virtual reality environment 270 appear wine bottles 272 and274 resting upon wooden stool 276. Next, in FIG. 14 appear wine bottleswith label 278 appearing on wine bottle 272 and label 280 on wine bottle274. FIG. 15 depicts how the immersive digital environment of FIG. 13may appear through the viewing lenses of HMD 210 for form scenes 290 and292, while FIG. 16 depicts how the immersive digital environment of FIG.14 may appear through the viewing lenses of HMD 210 to form scenes 294and 296.

FIG. 17 yet further illustrates use of the presently disclosed teachingsfor further providing contextual messaging via the presentation in thebackground of a immersive digital environment 300 an automobile 302,here a Mercedes Benz, beyond the original advertising locations of winebottles 272 and 274.

In light of the above, the present disclosure provides immersive digitalenvironment system 10 supporting enhanced advertising opportunitieswithin a dramatically more sensory-rich environment. By providingcontextual advertising in a virtual reality environment, the presentdisclosure provides a way to achieve what once seemed impossible. Thatis, the presently disclosed subject matter transports users to adifferent world. Although virtual reality, augmented reality, andsimilar technologies are in their infancy, advertisers now have theopportunity to present their brand, objects, or messaging using a mediumthat's dramatically more impactful than ever before. This result is dueto an enhanced ability to engage users' senses and immerse themcompletely into a virtual environment (which in fact, often doesn't feel“virtual” at all).

The method and system of the present disclosure provide that a brand,object, or message may be dynamically replaced as objects in softwareapplication 26 with advertising opportunities. Previously, anyimplementation of a system similar to the presently disclosed lacked themajority of the disclosed system's potential. In the past, when anadvertising opportunity was forged between software developers andadvertisers, a meeting of the two was required meet and hash out all ofthe details, and the advertisement or brand message was hard-coded intothe software application for that single advertiser. Prior opportunitieswere usually limited to something like a billboard that users couldeasily encounter without even noticing, similar to the phenomenon of“banner blindness” that we've all developed online and in real life. Themethod and system of the present disclosure allow software developers toregister an item within their application for rent and copy a uniquecode from our system to replace the object in their application.

Then, advertisers may browse through a database of these opportunitiesto find the ones they're most interested in, upload a file that matchesthe measurements and other requirements for that object in theapplication (specified earlier by the developer), and “rent” that objectwithout ever directly contacting the developer. The proposed system usesthat unique code in the software application to communicate with ouradvertisement management system and dynamically replace objectsavailable for rent with eligible advertisements from advertisers.

The presently disclosed method and system further provide the ability toallow users to interact with these dynamic advertisements. The virtualreality experience permits the user to walk right up to an advertisedobject and interact with it in whatever way the software developerprogrammed when creating their application. This implementation ofadvertising could be as subtle as the developer and advertiser prefer,but in many instances, it could be impossible to disregard or overlook.The developer may have this object associated with receiving resourceswithin their application such as health or money, or it could benecessary to interact with the object to progress in the game orapplication. Gone are the days of developers and advertisers having tocollaborate for weeks or months to create a modestly effectiveadvertising opportunity, at best.

The presently disclosed method and system provide abilities to createnovel, enhanced advertising opportunities for brands and advertiserswithout intrusion-dependent ads. Presently, most content is monetized orsupplemented by intrusive forms of advertising that users have evolvedto filter out. Whether it's television, radio, video games, orsoftware—users have become mostly immune to advertisers' messages. Thisis largely due to the unharmonious integration of content andadvertising. In known systems, content and advertising frequentlycompete against one another, rather than complement each other via asymbiotic integration. As long as these “branded objects” are integratedinto software thoughtfully and harmoniously, the present disclosurepermits advertisers to finally achieve a connection with their targetaudience independent from intrusion or competing with the contentthey're advertising within. The present method and system permitpotentially lowering the barrier for advertisers to achieve a meaningfulconnection with consumers.

The presently disclosed method and system have the ability to discernthat a particular advertisement might be appropriately placed in aparticular VR environment. For example, in the event that a health kitappeared in a medicine chest appeared in a particular scene, the systemwould have the ability to provide branded bandages or other kinds ofmedicines within the medicine chest. Thus, given a particular size,particular location and other parameters that might be of importance todetermine that a particular brand of medication and medicine might beapplied to a particular scene, the system would have the ability toautomatically populate such a presentation.

Another way to understand the dynamic advertising function of thepresent disclosure is to consider the method and systems as being ableto “swap out” a non-branded object with a branded object. So, it wouldbe possible to specify size and other characteristic to have aparticular object that might fit for a given immersive digitalenvironment. Such a object could be swapped out and made part of thescene by the system according to the particular way in which a virtualreality participant might interact with the scene.

On the other hand, by specifying a particular range of data, or a rangeof objects and other characteristics, the system would have the abilityto simply determine whether or not particular object replacement wouldfit within those parameters. If so, the system would simply place theobject within the scene without any type of artificial intelligence orother adaptation in order to make this work. So, if the system definesan object as, for example, a small food item or a drink, given whatevermay be in the library off of objects that are candidates for swappingout, the system could simply place the appropriate advertisement in thatscenario given the library or inventory of objects with which a softwaredeveloper in advertiser may populate the system.

The scientifically-proven heightened state of emotion that VR, AR, andsimilar technologies can produce results in better advertisingopportunities, which this system is designed to facilitate andcapitalize on. Researchers have performed studies to see what effectvideo games and other entertainment media has on users. Video games inparticular often create a heightened state of emotion that, unbeknownstto the user, makes them more receptive to branded messages, as describedbelow. This research also shows that users are more likely to have anaffinity toward an advertiser when encountered at the right momentduring this heightened emotional state.

In understanding the power of the present disclosure to apply VR, AR,and similar technologies for advertising use, reference is made to thetext entitled “Contextual Advertising in Games: Impacts of Game Contexton A Player's Memory and Evaluation of Brands in Video Games,” bySeung-Chul Yooa of the School of Communication & Media, Ewha WomansUniversity, Republic of Korea, and Matthew Eastin of the Stan RichardsSchool of Advertising & Public Relations, University of Texas at Austin,USA, (the “Eastin Study”), which is here expressly incorporated byreference in its entirety.

The Eastin Study makes clear that context-aware technology is one of thegreatest contributions to the world of advertisement, and contextualadvertising is a form of digital advertising that involves placingadvertisements for display among relevant contents. Context-awaretechnology enables targeted advertising in games that takes advantage ofatmospheric conditions and specific game contexts, and can be used forin-game advertising. Today's game developers seek ways to incorporatecontextual advertising without interrupting players' natural gamingexperience.

As a recent example, MediaBrix has created an innovative contextualin-game advertising platform that introduces ways to develop the bestcoherence between game playing and contextual advertisements. Inparticular, MediaBrix′ contextual in-game advertising achieves its goalby timely placements of advertisements based on the company's study ofthe storyboard of a game.

The present disclosure takes it vantage of the significantly moreintimate reaction that the user may have with an object in a virtualreality world. One particularly valuable example of the benefits fromthe intense experience that virtual reality provides relative to otherforms of advertising occurs in the area of what is known as“advergames.” An advergame may be considered to be a game involvingvideo advertising. What is understood in the context of advergames isthat when violence and other graphically intense situations occur, theemotions associated with a particular perception also increase, orbecome more intense. Thus, in the midst of a video altercation or roadrace or other type of footage a heightened awareness of a brand mayoccur. With the various sensations that may rise in an elevated state inthe virtual reality environment, there is the possibility andprobability of providing advertisements capable of resulting in aconsiderably greater impact than otherwise might be the case.

Another example could be in the context of a video reality came wherethe user might be bleeding or otherwise suffering some profound injury.As a result of his experience it, the user may open up a first aid kitor some other medical resource. In so doing, the user may see a brandedbandage or some other health care object. As a result, the user wouldestablish an emotionally intense affinity for that particular brand.These heightened experiences in a virtual reality environment trulypresent incredible advertising opportunities for brands.

The present disclosure, therefore, demonstrates the technical advantagesof using factors underlying the effectiveness of advertisements inrelation to a game's context. The Eastin Study reports and the presentdisclosure embodies a method and system whereby advertisers canstrategically use game contexts to meet their advertising goals, and itrevealed a number of interesting insights. By virtue of the presentdisclosure advertisers may make the best use of video games bystrategically locating their advertisements in the contexts that willmaximize advertising effectiveness.

The subject matter of the present disclosure provides the ability tobill on a novel, per-interaction basis (drinking, touching, eating,driving, turning on/off, listening to, etc.). The present method andsystem allow for an entirely new depth of interaction, while stillproviding all of the valuable data that advertisers use to directdigital media efforts. Users may “virtually” drink, touch, eat, drive,listen to, or otherwise interact with an advertiser's object or message.Users may even physically engage extra senses such as touch and smell inthe in alternative embodiments of the present disclosure.

The presently disclosed system enables billing explicitly for each ofvirtual reality object interaction or engagement/transaction.Accordingly, advertisers employing the present method and system mayaccurately measure value every time a charge occurs for a transaction.Even if the present system bills on a per-impression basis (typicallybilled per 1,000 impressions, or CPM), the value of these impressionsare dramatically higher, in recognition of improved experience of thepresent disclosure.

The system and method not only enable advertisers to capitalize on theenhanced opportunities in virtual reality environment, but also enablessoftware developers to monetize their content in an entirely new way,all while maintaining a large degree of control. Thus, not onlyadvertisers, but also software developers benefit from the functions andfeatures of the presently disclosed subject matter. The present systemallows software developers to select carefully where they placeadvertising opportunities throughout their content, producing a highlyeffective monetization opportunity without sacrificing user experience.Accordingly, the presently disclosed method and system create anunprecedented amount of control, and an ability to completely preservethe developer's intended user experience while still making moneythrough advertising.

In summary, the present disclosure provides a method and system foradvertising dynamic content in an immersive digital medium userexperience. The present method and system operate a plurality ofcomputer processors and databases in an associated network forreceiving, processing, and communicate instructions and data relating toadvertising content in an immersive digital medium user experience. Themethod and system execute instructions and processing data relating toadvertising objects, the advertising objects comprising images ofobjects, signs, labels, and related indicia of object origin forindicating sources of purchasing one or more objects for advertising.The method and system receive advertising instructions and data from aplurality of software applications for directing the use of said imagesfor objects, signs, labels, and related indicia of object origin withsaid immersive digital medium user experience. The method and systemrespond to variations in said advertising instructions and data wherebyoperation of said computer processors and databases enables swapping outof various advertising messages and images according to the context ofsaid immersive digital medium user experience.

Another aspect, based on the engagement of the user, includes theability to automatically increase the price of a particular advertisingobject. This may dynamically reflect the demand of the particularadvertising object and provide data of particular importance toadvertisers. This could include changes and rental place prices for theparticular advertising space as well as the direction during which anadvertisement object could be displayed within the environment. Also,the higher number of times for a particular appetizing object may arisebased on the interaction between users and the advertising object mayenable an advertise to capitalize on prime advertising opportunities.

Comprehensively, the presently disclosed subject matter operatesseamlessly to provide advertising content without disturbing theimmersive experience that is paramount to virtual reality's prosperity,adoption, and overall success. Accordingly, within a virtual realityenvironment, the present disclosure essentially eliminates intrusive adsday-in and day-out for those users of immersive digital systems.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The methods, systems, process flows and logic of disclosed subjectmatter associated with a computer readable medium may be described inthe general context of computer-executable instructions, such as, forexample, program modules, which may be executed by a computer.Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. The disclosed subject mattermay also be practiced in distributed computing environments whereintasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked througha communications network. In a distributed computing environment,program modules may be located in local and/or remote computer storagemedia including memory storage devices.

The detailed description set forth herein in connection with theappended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodimentsin which the presently disclosed subject matter may be practiced. Theterm “exemplary” used throughout this description means “serving as anexample, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

This detailed description of illustrative embodiments includes specificdetails for providing a thorough understanding of the presentlydisclosed subject matter. However, it will be apparent to those skilledin the art that the presently disclosed subject matter may be practicedwithout these specific details. In some instances, well-known structuresand devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuringthe concepts of the presently disclosed method and system.

The foregoing description of embodiments is provided to enable anyperson skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the novel principles and subject matterdisclosed herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use ofthe innovative faculty. The claimed subject matter set forth in theclaims is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein,but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principlesand novel features disclosed herein. It is contemplated that additionalembodiments are within the spirit and true scope of the disclosedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. In an immersive digital medium environment, amethod for providing dynamic digital advertising content, comprising thesteps of: providing a digital communications network for communicatingdigital data and executable instructions for use in forming saidimmersive digital medium environment, said immersive digital mediumenvironment performing the steps of: communicating between said digitalcommunications network and an advertising information database ofdigital data and executable instructions comprising a list ofadvertising opportunities describing one or more advertising locationswithin said immersive digital medium environment, and digital datarelating to display eligibility for each advertising opportunity of thelist of the advertising opportunities, wherein the list of advertisingopportunities is updated by a plurality of dynamic digital contentdevelopers; communicating between said digital communications networkand a plurality of advertiser communications circuits for receiving aplurality of dynamic digital advertising requests communicated digitallyfrom a plurality of advertisers and further communicating and storingsaid dynamic digital advertising requests within said advertisinginformation database for subsequent use by an advertising managementengine; communicating between said digital communications network and anadvertisement storage server, said advertisement storage serverproviding digital data storage memory circuitry and digital processorcircuitry for executing instructions relating to use of digital imagedata and executable instructions, video data and executableinstructions, audio data and executable instructions for use by saidadvertisement management engine in generating said dynamic digitaladvertisements for use in said immersive digital medium environment;communicating between said digital communications network and saidadvertisement management engine, said advertising management engine indigital communication with said advertising information database andcomprising a computer processor for processing digital data andexecutable instructions for generating computer determination ofeligibility for a dynamic digital advertising content to be used for anadvertising opportunity of the list of advertising opportunities in saidimmersive digital medium environment based on a combination of factorscomprising a predetermined set of advertising preferences, dynamicconditions in said immersive digital medium environment, and saiddisplay eligibility for the advertising opportunity; and dynamicallygenerating a digital advertising content to fill said advertisingopportunity using said digital image data and executable instructions,video data and executable instructions, and audio data and executableinstructions based on said determination of eligibility and said dynamicdigital advertising requests; and communicating between said digitalcommunications network and a plurality of immersive digital mediumenvironment user devices, each of said immersive digital mediumenvironment user devices comprising at least one memory circuit andcomputer processor for receiving and storing digital data and executableinstructions for use in one display software application for presentingthe immersive digital medium environment containing said digitaladvertising content along with associated sensation to a wearer of oneof said immersive digital medium environment user devices for sensingsaid digital advertising content within said immersive digital mediumenvironment.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step ofproviding advertisers the ability to dynamically deliver interactive andcontextual advertisements for use in said immersive digital mediumenvironment.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps ofdynamically and contextually replacing objects in a virtual realityapplication of said immersive digital medium environment.
 4. The methodof claim 1, further comprising the steps of dynamically and contextuallyreplacing objects in an augmented reality application of said immersivedigital medium environment.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingthe steps of providing wearer controls for use in said immersive digitalenvironment whereby a wearer may interact with digital advertisingcontent.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps ofdelivering transaction-based or advertising content to electronic mediausers without disturbing the immersive experience that is paramount tothis technology's prosperity, adoption, and overall success.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising the steps of using ascientifically-proven heightened state of emotion that virtual reality,augmented reality, and similar technologies can produce.
 8. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: communicating between said digitalcommunication network and a digital administrative system comprisingmemory and processor circuitry for storing digital data and executingprocessor instructions relating to administrative operations relating tosaid dynamic digital advertising content, said digital administrativesystem further communicating dynamic digital advertising content dataand executable instructions with said plurality of advertisercommunications circuits and further communicating said digital data andexecutable instructions to said advertising information database forstorage and further use by said advertising management engine; saiddigital administrative system further communicating digital data andexecutable instructions with a plurality of software developercommunications circuits for communicating information relating to saiddynamic digital advertising content to said plurality of dynamic digitalcontent developers.